Safety device for pole climbers



Jan. 12, 1960 JOHNSON 2,920,714

SAFETY DEVICE FOR POLE CLIMBERS Filed Aug. 29, 1957 l John M- Johnson INVENTOR. & l2 4 0 Y a 30 W United S ew Patcm SAFETY DEVICE FOR POLE CLIMBERS John M. Johnson, Lindsborg, Kans. Application August 29, 1957, Serial No. 680,971

8 Claims. 01. 182 -9 This invention relates to a safety device adapted to be used by linemen or other climbers for climbing poles 'or' trees and for keeping'workmen from falling when working'on a pole. I

I The primary object of the present invention resides 1n theprovision 'of a safety device for a pole climber that is especially adapted for workmen who are required to 'work. and climb poles that have numerous cross-arms and different s'ets of wires that the workman has to crawl around or through.

.The concept of this invention features a main frame having associated handles readily grasped by the climber which is constructed of fiber glass or other relatively strong, electrically insulative material which eliminates danger to the .climber when working around wires carryingielectric current.

.A further object of the present invention resides 1n the provision of a safety climbing device that is small and lightand canbe used as a safety climbing aid or .vision of a safety device which, when properly employed,

will support the worker even when the worker is unconscious due to the fact that the worker cannot fall or drop as the device locks to the pole when weight is applied to one or both safety belt straps.

These, together with the various ancillary objects and features of the invention which will become apparent as the following description proceeds, are attained by this safety device for pole climbers, a preferred embodiment of which has been illustrated in the accompanying drawings, by way of example only, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional detail view illustrating the construction of the safety device, with portions of the clamp means for engaging the safety belt or strap being shown in section;

Figure 3 is a plan view of the safety device for pole climbers; and,

Figure 4 is an enlarged sectional detail view as taken along the plane of line 4-4 in Figure 2.

With continuing reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals designate similar parts throughout the various views, the reference numeral generally designates the safety device for pole climbers comprising the present invention which includes a main cross-bar frame 12 having a pair of teeth 14 and 16 integrally formed therewith adapted to bite into the pole.

The frame has a pair of handles 18 and 20 of loop shape, preferably integrally formed therewith, which provide hand holes for a pole climber for easily moving the device to a raised or lowered position when climbing or working upon a pole. Support plates 19 and 21 are formed on handles 18 and 20 and are engageable by the safety belt.

Attached to the cross-bar frame 12 is a pair of studs 22 and 24 which extend through elongated slots 26 and 28 in slides 30 and 32 which are slidably mounted about the cross-bar frame 12. Carried by the slides 30 and 32, and preferably integral therewith, are a pair of clamp plates 36 and 38 which are adapted to cooperate (in a manner explained below) with the portions '40 and 42 of the handles 18 and 20 toclamp the straps 44 and 46 of a safety belt assembly therebetween. V

Lugs 48 and 50 are appended to the clamp plates 36 and 38. Pivoted by means of a pin 52 to the lug 50 and held in place by means of a cotter key 54 or other suitable fastener is an actuating lever 56 which has an enlarged pivot'section 58 integrally formed therewith which, by means of a pin 60, is pivotally secured to the end 62 of a turnbuckle 64 and held in place by means of a cotter key 66 or the like. The other end 68 of the turnbuckle 64 is pivoted by means of a pin 70 to the lug 48 and held in place by means of a cotter key 72. The turnbuckle may be adjusted by means of a thumb pin 74 in the obvious manner. The actuating lever 56 has a hook 76 at the end thereof for disposition over the slide 30 for holding the lever and the entire assembly in a locked and clamped position; The position of the pivot pin 60 determines whether the assembly is in the locked or unlocked position. When the hook 76 is engaged over the slide 30, the position of pin 60 is fixed and the clamp plates 36. and 38 should be sufficiently spaced from each other to clamp the straps 44 and 46 against portions 40 and 42 of the handles. To release the assembly from the locked position, it is merely necessary to disengage hook 76 from slide 30, by moving it upwardly, and the hook should then be moved laterally of the slide 30 so that the hook 76 may be moved below the upper edge of the slide, thus lowering pin 60 and releasing the clamp plates 36 and 38. Thus, the device may be locked and unlocked by use of the actuating lever 56.

It is noted that snaps, as is conventional, as at 80 and 82, may be used to connect the straps 44 and 46 to the waist belt portions 84 of the safety belt of the pole climber. Because of the construction of the clamp plates 36 and 38, if one of the snaps 80 and 82 should become disengaged from the eyes 86 or 88, the pole climber will still be safely held in a supported position.

It is to be noted that in operation the pole climber may easily raise or lower the safety device from a position in engagement with the pole by supporting himself as is conventional with his feet cleats and then lifting on the handles 18 and 20 to remove the teeth 14 and 16 from the pole and then position the safety device anew. The worker cannot fall or drop when the device is used as it locks to the pole when weight is applied to one or both of the safety belt straps 44 or- 46. If one safety belt strap should become disengaged or the worker become sick, he still could not fall with the device being properly used.

A hook 90 is provided for use when the climber is not using the device but is a carrier hook used to hook into the ring on the waist belt of the climber.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

- i. .-A safety :device for .pole climbers comprising a frame, a pair .of handles secure'cltto said frame, a pair ofslides slidably mounted on said frame, clamp plates carried by said slides and cooperating with said handles to clamp .asafety belt therebetween.

2. A safety device for pole cilmbers comprising a frame, a pair of handles secured to said frame, a pair of .slides slidably mounted on said frame, clamp plates carried by said slides and cooperating with said handles to clamp a safety belt therebetween, an actuating lever pivotally connected to one .of said clamp plates, and a linkage pivotally connected to the other of said clamp plates and to said actuating lever, said actuating lever serving to move said clamp plates towards and away from said handles upon actuation thereof.

3. A safety device for pole climbers comprising a frame, a vpair of handles secured to said frame, a pair of slides slidably mounted on said frame, clamp plates carried by said slides and cooperating with said .handles to .clamp a safety belt therebetween, an actuating lever pivotally connected to one of said clamp plates, and a linkagepivotally connected to the other of said clamp plates and to said actuating lever, said actuating lever serving to move said clamp plates towards and away from said .handles .upon actuation thereof, said linkage comprising a turnbuckle arrangement vfor adjusting the length of said linkage to adjust clamping pressure capable of being applied on a safety belt between said clamp plates and .saidhandles.

4. ,A safety device for pole climbers comprising a frame, a pair .of handles secured to said frame, a pair of slides slidably mounted on said frame, clamp plates carried by said slides and cooperating with said handles to clamp a safety belt therebetween, an actuating lever piv- -otally connected to one of said clamp plates, and a linkage pivotally connected to the other of said clamp plates and to said actuating lever, said actuating lever serving toimove said clamp plates towards and away from said ,handles upon actuating thereof, said actuation lever having a hook on the end thereof engageable with one of said slides to .lock said clamp plates in a clamped position.

1 ,5. .Asafety device for pole climbers comprising a frame, a pair of handles secured to said frame, a pair of slides slidably mounted on said frame, clamp plates carried by said slides and cooperating with said handles to clamp a safety 'belt therebetween, an actuating lever pivotally connected to one of said clamp plates, and a linkage pivotally connected to the other of said clamp plates and to said actuating lever, said actuating lever serving to move said clamp plates towards and away from said handles upon actuation thereof, said linkage comprising a turnbuckle arrangement for adjusting the length of said linkage to adjust clamping pressure capable of being applied on a safety belt between said clamp plates and said handles, said actuating lever having a hook on the end thereof engageable with one of said slides to lock said clamp plates in a clamped position.

6'. A safety device for pole climbers comprising a frame, a pair of handles secured to said frame, a pair of slides slidably mounted on said frame, clamp plates carried by said slides and cooperating with said handles to clamp a safety belt therebetween, means disposed between and operatively connected to each of said clamp plates for simultaneously urging each of the latter towards said handles a sufiicient amount and with substantially equal pressure to clamp the safety belt therebetween, said .urging means including means for retaining said clamp plates in biased position.

7. A safety device for pole climbers comprising a frame, a pair of handles secured to opposite end portions of said frame, an abutment portion on each of said handles, a pair of slides slidably mounted on said frame intermediate said abutment portions for movement toward and away from the latter and cooperating therewith to clamp a safety belt therebetween.

8. The .combination of claim 7 including a lever mechanism interconnected between said clamp plates for moving the latter toward and away from said handles upon actuation thereof, and retaining means on said lever mechanism engageable with said frame for retaining the lever mechanism in a position with said clamp plates .positioned to clampingly engage a safety belt between said abutment portions and said clamp plates.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 869,382 Newton Oct. 29, 1907 1,120,496 Holsclaw Dec. 8, 1914 1,229,003 Viinter June 5, 1917 1,721,516 Jacobs V July 23, 1929 2,601,589 'Childers June 24, 1952 2,710,649 Griswold et al June 18, 1955 

